[caption id="attachment_152" align="aligncenter" width="333" caption="Photo by Yoppy on Flickr"]

[/caption]Even since childhood, I have had nasty habit of not drinking nearly as much water as I should. I partly blame my mom for introducing me to lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid at a young age, (I was 10 before I realized that real lemonade came from actual lemons, water, and sugar) but I was always the kind of girl that preferred color, bubbles, and "taste" in her beverage. Now as an adult who's in charge of her own liquid intake, I still find that I have to consciously stay away beverages that "snap, crackle, and pop" when you open them. No, water doesn't have as much flavor as juice and no, it's not as fun to pour because it won't fizz in your glass, but there's not denying how vital drinking water is to our complexion, health, and overall hydration. I found it funny then, how easily I could acknowledge the need to kick "flavor-enhanced" beverages in favor of the real thing, yet I was not applying the same principle when it came to my dry, thirsty, natural hair.This hit me a while ago when I was drinking a glass of water (of course) and scouring YouTube yet again for recommendations on a hair moisturizer I could buy. I heard a lot of Carol's Daughter this, and Karen's Body Beautiful that, but I wasn't sure if any of those products would achieve the most basic function that my dry hair (and scalp!) needed most—moisture. So then I thought, "Hmm...what is accessible to me today, inexpensive, and sure to work?"Water!!!Yes, plain ol' (albeit filtered) water! I found a cheap spray bottle from Target, poured some water in it, added a few drops of essential oil for scent and...bam! An instant moisturizer I'll never run out of. In fact, I've been using this solution for over 6 months now and I have yet to purchase an actual "moisturizer" product. I spray my hair and scalp with my water bottle whenever I feel it needs it and my hair is brought back to life on the spot. I use a little coconut oil to seal my ends and I'm truly good to go.Now I say all of this not convince anyone to stop using a moisturizing product if they find that it is working for them. All I'm saying is, just like fizzy, fruity beverages are nothing more than a derivative of the true liquid our bodies need most, moisturizing products are simply formulated concoctions meant to do to your hair what water already does. So, if you're in the market for a moisturizer for your hair, give plain water a try before you run out and spend money on something that might not be as effective. After all, when we are thirsty, it's best to reach for a cold, tall glass of water. If your hair is thirsty, maybe you should give it the same thing.